Anja Beran

Her Daily Life as a Trainer

Anja Beran is known for placing fine riding as a training priority. She relies on the classical principles of Horsemanship: “My sole aim is to ensure in the course of my life that an increasing number of people become familiar with the art of classical horsemanship which has become a matter of such great importance to me and that they will also learn to appreciate it. I hope very much that a great number of riders will be able to experience serious enthusiasm for classical horsemanship in its true and original sense”.

Running her own farm and equestrian center called "Gut Rosenhof" in Germany, she teaches numerous clinics and seminars in the United States, England, and all around the world. To spread her philosophy, she not only has published numerous online courses on wehorse but also written books.

Pathway to Classical Equestrianism

Born in 1970, Anja spent her childhood visiting her Grandfather’s hut in the middle of the Bavarian forest with no running water or electricity, wandering for hours through the hunting grounds, with horses and dogs for company.

Anja visited Portugal as a 15-year-old where she rode under the master Luis Valença and met her eventual mentor, Manuel Jorge de Oliveira, a supporter of the well-known Nuno Oliveira, with a reputation for helping rebalance the most difficult horses through his systematic gymnasticizing work.

Back in Germany, Anja Beran continued her education with Marc de Broissia. Once she finished school she began working there and stayed for fourteen years, with the opportunity to train and ride horses of various breeds and training levels up to the highest level of dressage.

Anja Beran considers those years of training with different horses and challenges as one of her greatest strengths.

In 2009 the Anja Beran Foundation was formed, providing animal welfare, environmental protection, and the opportunity for students to be selected as apprentices, ensuring the almost lost art of classical riding is preserved and promoted.

A Training Philosophy Based on the Classical Principles

If one sentence was to characterize Anja Beran's training philosophy, it would be the following: "Dressage is here for the horse and not the horse for the dressage." Following this principle, Anja Beran places emphasis on managing each horse individually and solving any problem that could occur in a sensitive, horse-friendly way.

Another important part of Anja Beran's training philosophy is to focus on the natural movement of the horse. With a combination of skillful exercises, she helps her horses find their own balance, not only physically but also mentally. For her, each rider should contribute to their horse living a long, healthy and happy life which can only happen with correct training.